Lerrick Myers sits in the jury box in Pontiac's 50th District Court in front of Judge Cynthia THomas Walker for a pretrial hearing charged. Meyers is charged with two counts of felony murder. The Oakland Press/DOUG BAUMAN

One of two defendants in the double murder trial involving a shooting outside of a bikini bar in Pontiac has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and will serve 27 years in prison.

Lerrick Myers Jr., 21, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in exchange for having two felony murder charges dropped. A conviction on a felony murder charge would have meant a mandatory life sentence.

Myers' openings occurred first, and he and his jury had a break of more than an hour while opening statements occurred for Lewis. Myers was called back shortly before noon and agreed to the plea deal offered by Oakland County Assistant Prosecutor Jason Pernick.

"We wanted to make sure the victim's family was consulted and they were in agreement with this before anything was placed on the record," Oakland County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Paul Walton said Friday afternoon.

"The nice thing about striking some type of accord is it eliminates the appellate process. Absent showing there's some defect in the plea, (Myers) is pretty much not going to be able to appeal his conviction."

Myers will be sentenced at 8:30 a.m. May 30. It does not appear as though he will testify against Lewis, who was offered a plea deal similar to the one Myers received.

Lewis refused to take the plea, in which he would have served 42 years in prison. He is charged with two counts of felony murder, armed robbery and eight firearms offenses.

Lewis was offered a plea deal similar to the one Myers received, in which Lewis would have served 40 years in prison, but he refused to take it. He is charged with two counts of felony murder, armed robbery and eight firearms offenses.

During opening statements, Pernick said Ellis and Sylvester were "sitting there minding their own business" aboard a party bus when they were both shot to death.

"Anthony Ellis died when a bullet perforated the atrium of his heart," Pernick said.

"Shuntrice Sylvester died when a bullet perforated her aorta."

But the events leading up to the shootings, which occurred a year ago Monday, began about 90 minutes before the first shots were fired.

Lewis and Myers had been inside Porky's when they were involved in an altercation with two other men. All four men were forced to leave.

After exiting, one of the other men went to his friend's vehicle to retrieve a pistol. He headed back toward the bar, where Lewis and Myers were waiting, Pernick said.

A scuffle breaks out, and the man with the gun attempted to toss the gun to his friend. The toss was inaccurate, and the gun fell to the pavement under a car.

Lewis took the gun and the other men left. Some time later, a man was robbed of his Cartier glasses and money while he was attempting to pay the party bus driver, Pernick said.

That man was Robert King.

"King hears someone on the bus say 'What's going on out there?' or 'What's happening out there?' and at that point, the men standing next to him start shooting," Pernick said.

Lewis was taken in for questioning and at first said he heard the gunshots while he was leaving the bar. He then asked to see his girlfriend, stating that he would then tell police "everything," Pernick said.

"When she's brought into the room, he acts like a man with a guilty conscience and begins crying uncontrollably," Pernick said.

Lewis didn't offer much information about the shootings but told investigators that Myers was responsible for everything.

Paulette Michel, who represents Lewis, said this case "hinges on the credibility of the witnesses."

Michel said Lewis drove himself to the bar that night to celebrate his birthday. He was involved in the fight with the other men, was kicked out, and was part of the altercation outside, during which the gun was dropped.

"My client ... picks up the gun and diffuses the situation," Michel said,

Lewis drove Myers home and then returned to Porky's, Michel said.

At some point, Myers -- who lived near the bar -- returned to the scene, but Lewis didn't see him again until he left the bar around 1:45 a.m., according to Michel.

Witnesses have "very different stories," she said.

"It was the codefendant who robbed Mr. King that night," Michel said.

"There's no dispute about that. You will hear conflicting testimony as to how many guns there were that night."

Michel urged jurors to put themselves in the position of her client, who lived "a lifestyle where guns are about as common as cell phones."

"Don't base (your decision) solely on whether you agree with the lifestyle of my client or his codefendant," she said.

"It's absolutely true that my client was there that night. He was there during the robbery. He was there during the shooting. But that's where his involvement ends."